SkyCode Horoscopes for November 5-November 11, 2018

Horoscopes to unlock the stars, not to be locked down by them.

“Fake News Is Old News. So, now what?”

Don’t worry: I’m not citing CNN or Fox News as “fake” or 100% authentic news. But labeling news as “fake” is both disturbing and hilarious. It’s disturbing that expected facts can be distorted or blown out of proportion for the sake of news reporting. And that actual quotes and news can easily sound like what we once thought of as satire or comedy.

But this kind of thing isn’t exactly new. Or news. And it’s a perfect topic to explore during a week when there’s a mystery-probing Scorpio New Moon on Wednesday and Jupiter heads into Sagittarius on Thursday, one of his two home signs, for the first time in 12 years. (His other home sign is Pisces.)

Who said that?

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

It’s a nice quote, right? Except Goethe didn’t write it. At all. In fact, it’s usually corrected to be written by William Hutchinson Murray. But this site says even he shouldn’t get the credit. It should go to poet John Anster. He was mostly inspired by Goethe.

Fake Truth

How about these two beloved quotes from the Sufi poet Rumi?:

“The sky will bow to your beauty if you do.”

And “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

Yup, you guessed it. It’s not clear if he said those either. I learned the first quote can’t be directly attributable to Rumi from my wife, Dar Alexander. She’s a Farsi-speaking Persian who looked up what Rumi wrote in her language. Dar reported that what he wrote in the poem that starts with “Brother, stand the pain…” isn’t remotely close to what his most famous translator, Coleman Barks, translated. When she told me that, for a second, I wanted to cry since that was one of my favorite quotes, and I used it as my tagline on my website and email signature. (One of the reasons why she sought to look up the original in the first place.) I laughed instead.

It’s also likely that your favorite Lao Tze quotes from the Tao Te Ching are probably “fake,” too. I shared the quote below on Twitter this past summer. But an astrology colleague privately messaged me to let me know it was made up or inaccurately attributed to Lao Tze. The quote:

This site makes plain why Lao Tze didn’t say these wise words. And I could do the same with quotes attributed to Jesus and other authors of the Bible.

Not Faking The Truth

So, who or what’s to be trusted if folks we believe to be the most upstanding folks didn’t say what’s been attributed to them? Well, that question reminds of me of a scripture I used to quote when I was a fundamentalist Christian minister:

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

It’s from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, a mentee and fellow evangelist—2 Timothy 2:15, to be exact. (Yeah, I also don’t know if Paul wrote that letter to Timothy or any of them. But that’s not my point.)

That exhortation to study really translates best as to “be diligent.” But I think the word study, as we normally assign to training, works here too. And I think that’s one of the best aspects of Jupiter’s sojourn into Sagittarius. Truth isn’t merely about who said what. Or whether it’s quoted exactly from the source. It’s whether one recognizes the true source of what’s said in yourself and the world you see around you.

I have seen that boldness does indeed have genius, magic, and power in it. You likely have too. I also believe that kindness in words creates confidence. And I still believe that the sky will bow to your beauty if you do.

The arrows of Truth that Jupiter shoots in Sagittarius are probably more the quotes and stories that train us to be better, to connect more with others, and “rightly divide the word of truth” to get at our own hearts. Fair enough that we shouldn’t give false attribution or bear false witness against our neighbors. That’s the worst kind of “fake news.”

Paying attention is still free

But we probably should be more diligent about the stories we’re creating with the news and quotes we’re digesting. I’ve been focusing on mostly positive quotes that have been misattributed in this post. The misattributions could be disturbing and disappointing for some. Yet, the “truth” of the words certainly shouldn’t be. You really don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. And you also don’t have to wash some baby that might not be yours. The key is to pay attention. And that’s likely where you’ll find the Real and the Truth. That’s when you’re most present.

This post is already long enough. (Also gives you a sense of the, um, long-windedness that Jupiter in Sagittarius can bring, too.) If you want more about Jupiter in Sagittarius, you can check out this short article I wrote for horoscope.com. Also, if you’re looking for more horoscopes, in general, check your horoscope at Tarot.com this month. I wrote all of the dailies. 😉

How to read and use these affirmations

You could choose to read these only for “your sign.” Perhaps that might be your Sun, Moon, or ascendant sign, if you’re familiar with those terms and your chart. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that, though.

I would skim through them all and see which affirmation affirms your life this week:

Pay careful attention to the affirmation(s) that you resist. You probably need to meditate on and say those aloud often.

These affirmations are written for this week, but many of them might speak to you for longer, even a lifetime.

You might not know at the top of the week what you need to affirm. But you might have a sense from the previous week, from a dream or something that happens right on Monday morning. You can also visit this page later in the week to see what resonates. You might also discover I write more for another planet or sign in your chart. I talk more about this here.

My desire is to prompt you to read more for your whole chart, not just what you know or understand your birth chart to be. It’s also possible that none of what I write here speaks to you, and that’s okay. The goal is to open and to explore. That’s the only way we ever truly know anything.

The Signs of Saturn

Saturn

Planets or Ascendant in Capricorn and/or Aquarius

Capricorn (Cardinal, Earth sign)

Affirmation:

I can change the story of my life to change my life.

Aquarius (Fixed, Air sign)

Affirmation:

I am resilient enough to absorb the blows of outrageous fortune with forgiveness and a few outrageous forays of my own.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Signs of Jupiter

Jupiter

Planets or Ascendant in Sagittarius and/or Pisces

Sagittarius (Mutable, Fire sign)

Affirmation:

My heart spans between what’s near and far.

Pisces (Mutable, Water sign)

Affirmation:

I recognize that mysterious changes within can complement new truths and discoveries around me.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Signs of Mars

Mars

Planets or Ascendant in Aries and/or Scorpio

Aries (Cardinal, Fire sign)

Affirmation:

I am forgiving of those who neglect their own passions to focus on mine.

Scorpio (Fixed, Water sign)

Affirmation:

I know sometimes I must forgive to give and go forward.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Sign of the Sun

The Sun

Planets or Ascendant in Leo

Leo (Fixed, Fire sign)

Affirmation:

I let more of my “little” light shine to banish any darkness in my heart.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Signs of Venus

Venus

Planets or Ascendant in Taurus and/or Libra

Taurus (Fixed, Earth sign)

Affirmation:

I move past the worst fears in my mind’s eye to inch closer to living my best life.

Libra (Cardinal, Air sign)

Affirmation:

I perceive deeper to proceed higher and prioritize better.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Signs of Mercury

Mercury

Planets or Ascendant in Gemini and/or Virgo

Gemini (Mutable, Air sign)

Affirmation:

I become a better person by how I learn to treat others better.

Virgo (Mutable, Earth sign)

Affirmation:

I guide my compassion with scrutiny rather than scrutinize my compassion.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.

The Sign of the Moon

The Moon

Planets or Ascendant in Cancer

Cancer (Cardinal, Water sign)

Affirmation:

I take the first steps toward healing a deep wound by saying its name.

Don’t know what planets or points you have where in your chart? Learn what to do about it here.